By The Guardian (Sports, Football) | Created at 2024-09-25 18:18:38 | Updated at 2024-09-30 07:33:52
4 days ago
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Read Jonathan Wilson on Man Utd
The nature of the modern United is that they cannot be trusted. They will inexplicably fail to do the basics of defending. They will contrive comical ways to have goals ruled out for offside. They will waste opportunities. In part it’s quality, in part it’s mentality, in part it’s the area where the two meet, and in part it’s confidence.
Last week we scored seven against Barnsley, we are capable of scoring many goals, but it’s a part of the game we have to improve.
Team news: Ugarte starts
The Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte will make his full debut for United. Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire also return to the starting XI, with Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Matthijs de Ligt moved to the rotation seats in the dugout.
FC Twente make a couple of changes to the team that won 5-0 away to Almere on Sunday. The captain Ricky van Wolfswinkel, once of Norwich City, and Michel Vlap replace Daan Rots and Carel Eiting.
Man Utd (4-2-3-1) Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot; Ugarte, Eriksen; Amad, Fernandes, Rashford; Zirkzee.
Substitutes: Bayindir, Heaton, De Ligt, Mount, Hojlund, Garnacho, Casemiro, Antony, Evans, Mainoo, Collyer.
FC Twente (possible 4-2-3-1) Unnerstall; Van Rooij, Hilgers, Bruns, Salah-Eddine; Regeer, Vlap; Van Wolfswinkel, Steijn, Van Bergen; Lammers.
Substitutes: El Maach, Tyton, Lagerbielke, Kjolo, Kuipers, Eiting, D Rots, Van Hoorenbeeck, Mesbahi, Ltaief, M Rots, Besselink.
Preamble
Hello there. The bad news for Manchester United is that they’re back in the Europa League; the good news is that they have a chance of winning it. That hasn’t been the case in the Champions League since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, and a portfolio of misery peaked last season when they couldn’t even secure the Europa League parachute that was given to whoever finished third in their group.
For the time being, the Europa League is United’s level. They won it in 2017, were runners-up in 2021 and reached the quarter-final in Erik ten Hag’s first season. The new format means no Champions League teams will gatecrash the knockout rounds, so the winner is among the 36 teams who have reached the league stage. Contenders include Spurs, Lazio, Roma, Athletic Bilbao, Porto, Real Sociedad, Eintracht Frankfurt, Galatasaray and Jose Mourinho.
United start at home to FC Twente, who finished third in last season’s Eredivisie after Ajax went awol. Three is the operative number: that’s how many spells Ten Hag had at Twente during his playing career, so this match will mean a lot to him. It won’t be easy, but United can’t afford a false start: their next two Europa League games are away to Porto and Mourinho.
Kick off 8pm.
